the rise in working class taxes will take.

The sad truth is that we might beyond the point where just fat cat cuts can expire and restore fiscal sanity. We might need a period wherein they all expire together.

At least this particular fiscal cliff is cutting the Pentagon. That's really the most important thing of all.

see if the opposition votes against that.

The RAPEuglicans have a "scorched economy" policy, just as they have had since 2009.

is worth consideration. Yes, we will feel the pinch if the Republicans refuse to let it come to a vote, but the optics of the Republican party denying an enormous tax cut might be more than they can bear. And even if they CAN bear it, it will lose them many elections to come.

The economy will be in the toilet for years with the big tax hike, and they control the media so Democrats will get the blame for voting down the extension to the tax cuts. No other stimulus will get past the House.

It would cost us the Senate in 2014 fore sure.
Might cost us 2016 as well, since we don't have anyone to run then who can campaign the way Obama can.

points for 2014 will be like 2012, "Republicans are just for the wealthy", only on steroids. That was an effective campaign message, and it would be even more so. After going over the cliff, average people would see what that means, and I think Democrats would pick up seats.

Republicans do control the media, but the message got through this time, it could again.

The tax cuts may expire, but the repuglycans will kick and scream every micrometer of the way.

Hopefully Obama will use all the leverage he has, and not compromise at all.

and then call again the next day. Shut the switchboards down with calls of support.

The Alternative Minimum Tax and other threats of what "could" happen can be
corrected and made retroactive as of Jan.1, 2012.

I truly believe many of the corporate layoffs being reported are blackmail. They have
nothing to do with healthcare costs but more to do with the CEO et al. having to pay
a higher tax rate.

That the pitiful tax cuts given to the lower brackets were a muffler, and the rich were getting a Lexus. Sounds to me like letting them expire would have no effect on the lower brackets, since putting them in, in the first place was useless and a joke.